


Excelsior: Holiday

by ssa_archivist



Category: Smallville
Genre: Angst, Crossover, Drama, Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-11-26
Updated: 2003-11-26
Packaged: 2017-11-01 07:25:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/353716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ssa_archivist/pseuds/ssa_archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's always a good idea to bring a friend home for a holiday. [The third installment in the Excelsior series; sequel to "Recluse".]</p>
            </blockquote>





	Excelsior: Holiday

**Author's Note:**

> The third installment in my Excelsior series; sequel to "Excelsior: Recluse" - prior reading of the first two installments is recommended. 

## Excelsior: Holiday

by Lexalot

<http://www.livejournal.com/users/lexalot>

* * *

Excelsior: Holiday  
By: Lexalot 

Summary: It's always a good idea to bring a friend home for a holiday. 

Rating: NC-17 

Pairing: Lex/Bruce 

Disclaimer: When canon is full of holes, it's only natural than fan fiction should fill in the blanks :) 

Thanks: To coffeejunkii for the light beta, and also for getting R.E.M.'s "Drive" stuck in my head while I wrote this. 

* * *

Thanksgiving Day came too quickly for Lex just like the two previous years he had spend away at boarding school, but this year was already different. This time he had company and just knowing that he would not be facing his father alone relieved a lot of pressure that had accumulated in the usual countdown to his Metropolis homecoming. This was the first holiday break of the year as well as the one he dreaded most. His behavior was always its worst at the start of the academic year, so the Thanksgiving visit was becoming notorious for Lex's daylong clash with his father. 

The limousine ride had been incredibly quiet as Bruce sat staring out the darkly tinted windows, a vacancy in his eyes. Lex appreciated that Bruce had agreed to come, and though Bruce seemed totally disinterested, Lex was grateful that he had someone at least by his side. When the car pulled up to the building, doormen greeted them and took the few light bags they had packed. They were only staying until the next morning. Lex preferred to severely limit the time they had to endure this family formality since it served no function other than forcing him to confront his father. 

Upon arriving upstairs, they had barely set foot in the door and Lex saw Lionel approaching them already. He could not stop himself from rolling his eyes in disgust and thinking that the trial was to begin. Now he would be suffocated with criticism of every errant deed committed since September, which amounted to quite a list of rebellious and indolent conduct. Lex took a deep breath and prepared for the onslaught to begin. 

Instead, however, the oddest thing happened. His father smiled at them, the same sly grin he wore to board meetings. Lex was puzzled for a second, but then it quickly sunk in that his father was bent on turning the young and emancipated Wayne heir into a business partner for LuthorCorp to devour and spit out after having exploited both him and his name for all they were worth. 

Lionel stared for a moment, sensing Lex's distaste. "Well, don't be rude, Lex. Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?" 

"Dad, this is Bruce Wayne," Lex announced blandly, presenting their guest and choking back the bile that rose against the back of his throat as he perceived himself being used as a tool for his father's detestable games. He should have predicted that his father did not protest because he saw his son as a pawn and his son's school chum as a financial venture. Eager to thwart this attempt before it could begin, Lex quickly grabbed Bruce's arm and started to walk past his father. "Now, if you'll excuse us..." 

Before Lex could pass, Lionel grabbed him by the arm and yanked him back. Bruce was left quite a few feet away, Lex's guiding hand having been ripped from his teenage companion in his father's swift move. Lionel held Lex close to him, squeezing his arm tightly, hurting him while maintaining the mask of benign composure. Lex squirmed but his father's grip was ironclad, and he jerked him close to whisper menacingly in his ear. "If you think I'm going to let you fuck the youngest billionaire in the world without reaping the benefits of your association, then you still have a great deal to learn about how corporate profit works, and if you fail to cooperate, you will learn it somewhere a lot less accommodating than Excelsior Preparatory. Understood?" 

Lex glared at his father and gulped down his objections to being threatened like some insignificant lackey. He nodded tersely, and Lionel released him from his firm grasp. As he rubbed his upper arm to dull the fresh ache there, cradling it like a wounded animal, Lionel turned to Bruce with his false veneer back in place instantly. 

"Bruce, I don't know if you were aware, but I knew your parents. They were good people." Though his deceptive air of congeniality was strong at first, Lionel's confidence betrayed him. He seemed convinced he had established himself as the unquestioned authority in this situation, and that he would be paid the respect he arrogantly believed he was due. "Your father was a stubborn man, as I recall. Your mother, however, was a lovely woman." Lionel smirked with a vulgar suggestion about his complacent expression. 

Bruce stared blankly at Lionel for a brief moment, not even a crack in his glacial surface, and then, without thought or emotion, Bruce reacted. 

Suddenly, a fist connected with Lionel's face. A stream of blood trickled down his lip as he reeled with the shock of that blow, and Bruce pulled back, satisffied with the damage he had done, fairly certain he had just broken Lionel's nose. He shot a quick look at Lex and then glared down at Lionel as he hunched and held his hand over his face, appearing dizzy and disoriented. Before Lionel could recover, Bruce casually left with a contended air about him. 

Unbelievably impressed, Lex couldn't help but note Lionel's impotence in that moment. He was frozen in anger and shock, and because of Bruce's high profile power and wealth, Lionel wouldn't dare try to retaliate for that assault. It was as if Bruce had just gotten away with a tyrannical coup. 

Lex grinned madly at his father. "I'll be in my room." Thinly veiling his delight, Lex rushed to catch up to Bruce, the whole way down the hall thinking that had done well. Better than he had dared even imagine. This might not be so bad, after all. Bruce was his hero twice over now. 

* * *

The second floor of the penthouse that was about half its size was Lex's so-called room. By time Lex got up there, Bruce was already showing himself around the place. Lex stood by and watched him, allowing him to explore their surroundings. Bruce lingered particularly long when he came to pictures that sat on Lex's desk. All were pictures of him and his mother or just his mother, playing, posing, only the two of them, appearing rather happy. There was only one exception, which certainly by no coincidence was the only photo where Lionel was present, and Lex's expression was one of sheer sadness. 

Eventually Bruce seemed like he could not hover by the desk any longer and he moved on to simpler things. Lex trailed behind him silently, pointing out random objects of meaning to him or explaining random objects of Bruce's interest. As they came upon Lex's collection of Warrior Angel comics, Lex regressed into happier times and almost instantly became like a kid as he brought them all out and rifled through nearly every issue, telling Bruce the whole mythology and dozens upon dozens of storylines. He knew them by heart and while Bruce didn't exactly seem riveted, he seemed to enjoy Lex's enthusiasm for them as a novelty. Lex felt a little self-conscious exposing this geeky and more light-hearted side of him, but Bruce appeared to be amused by it. 

After a while, the contents of Lex's immense domain grew bland and Lex was itching for something with flavor. On a whim, he sneaked downstairs to swipe some scotch from his father's ample supply. Fortunately, there were no signs of Lionel anywhere. The penthouse appeared deserted, except for a few servants running about to finish preparing dinner. Somehow Lex doubted that he and Bruce would be coming down to eat and he supposed his father would be absent for the remainder of the evening, so he took the initiative on the behalf of his better self. He instructed the staff to take all the food down to the nearest kitchen that provided dinner tonight for the homeless. But Lex would have to admit that his intentions were not entirely altruistic. This wasn't some grand philanthropic gesture. Part of him did it out of spite because he knew Lionel would be livid that he had arranged for such a banquet only to have Lex order that it be given away at his father's expense. 

When Lex rejoined Bruce on the second floor, he had with him a bottle of scotch and a bottle of burgundy. Bruce immediately grabbed the burgundy and opened the fresh bottle. This left Lex in a momentary state of shock, because he had never seen Bruce touch alcohol before, never mind eager to indulge in it. After the surprise wore off and Bruce took his first sizable swig of the liquor, Lex found this an encouraging sign. The usual way of it was that Bruce merely witnessed Lex as he partook of that pleasure, never tasting the forbidden fruit himself. But this time, Bruce was not only participating in this self-abusive sport, but he was even ahead of the game, having beaten Lex to the first sip. 

In an hour, they were both splayed out on the bed, their clothes a little ruffled from crawling around the room and bed. Everything was hazy, their senses drowning in liquid distortion. Two half-empty bottles sat on the floor, the measure of Bruce's burgundy amounting to just a little less than Lex's scotch. Oddly enough, for the first time since Lex had met Bruce, it seemed like there were no barriers between them. They had reached some plateau of comfort and Bruce's guard had been let down. Lex did not know whether it was the drinks or that they were finally connecting, but he had never felt at such ease with anyone. 

Lex had said something, and he wished he could have recalled what it had been, because it had earned a smile from his dark savior. It must have been funny though, because Bruce actually even laughed a little and Lex lusted to hear more of that sound. Lex craved more of this, seeing an opportunity to know his mysterious companion in a clearer and less abstract sense. His head was turned to the side, staring at Bruce. Bruce's eyes were closed, and a residual smile played upon his face. Lex had never seen him so content, so seemingly at peace. 

Silence hung over them like a cloud in their drunken heads. 

Inebriated and thinking inane thoughts aloud, Lex cynically asked a mundane question, his sheer disdain for this holiday resonating in his disorderly mind. "What are you thankful for, Bruce?" 

His eyes opened slowly and his smile faded like the memory of intoxication. "Nothing." His tone was solemn and his voice seemed to echo pain out of the depths of nowhere. 

Lex was still trapped in his own world, in denial, unable to see the invisible demons that consumed Bruce inside. "Come on, Bruce. There has to be something good..." Lex searched for the rest of thought he had just had, but Bruce nullified any such sentiment as he interrupted. 

"Why, Lex? What good is there left in the world for me?" Bruce abruptly became bitter and morose, the emotions like the ripple of some distant wave. Then, the ice shattered under tremendous pressure from within. "Some asshole shot my parents, ruined my whole fucking life. I'm not grateful, because I have no reason to be. If anything, I'm owed a great debt, and I'm just living to collect it." All of Bruce's anger and despair and hurt seemed to be gushing out onto the surface in a manner that was very unlike him and very like the distraught teenager that probably lay dormant underneath the hollow facade Bruce cultivated. Lex was suddenly able to imagine Bruce nurturing that mask until it was such a part of the outside that it was not really a mask anymore. 

A profound quiet fell over Lex as Bruce's words tumbled around his head. Bruce's emotions always seemed parched, like they had died of thirst in a vast wasteland of existence, but drinking seemed to have unleashed the deluge that Lex thought might be underneath the barren crust. Now that Lex was swimming in the sea that had overwhelmed the desert, he tread carefully. "Did they ever catch...?" 

"No! They didn't." Another quick answer to another reaction Bruce had probably seen coming. Most likely that was because everyone reacted the same way to the poor boy who had lost his parents of noble rearing to a lowly criminal, leaving behind a six year-old boy who had witnessed the murder of his own mother and father, and was left quite alone in the world. 

Lex wanted to say he was sorry, wanted to apologize for something that probably a hundred or more had apologized to Bruce for out of pity for a rich victim they thought would not suffer this much because he had such privilege to comfort him. As if that could be any consolation. Lex knew that routine. Lex himself was sick of it after the loss of his mother. After the even more tragic death of his brother... People handed out sympathy like it was candy, and expected the one in pain to eat it up and smile in appreciation. They expected the one whose very soul had been pierced by the wound to thank them for their gracious courtesy. They demanded that the unfortunate be grateful to the patronizing. This kind of superficial charity was rampant in Lex and Bruce's world. Lex knew that sting. His soul had been run through a couple times over. But Bruce... Bruce's soul had slipped away. 

For a long time, Lex did not utter a word. He refused to do to Bruce what a million others would offer under the romantic guise of optimism and empathy. Bruce lay there just as mute. In the space of an hour, they had not yet budged an inch. Then, Bruce sprung to life as he rolled onto his side to grab his bottle from the floor. He pressed its mouth to his lips, threw his head back and the burgundy drained as he gulped it down with begrudging need, like dining on the ashes of a shattered dream to nourish hope. As crude and inappropriate as it was in the context of this moment, Lex could not help but find the sight of Bruce doing that enticing. If nothing else, Lex thought at least that was an honest reaction as opposed to so many fake ones. 

Sitting up and moving on his knees closer to Bruce, he took the bottle from Bruce's hand to free his lips. The urge to kiss him was powerful, but instead, Lex just gazed right into those crystal blue eyes the color of a snowy winter over the ocean, and caressed Bruce's cheek with his hand. Bruce felt like organic matter stretched over stone, and Lex supposed it was the same on the inside. 

As Bruce sat passively returning Lex's stare, Lex noted the difference in his face. Something sorrowful and broken in the place of Bruce's usual listlessness. Lex stopped stroking the chiseled cheek and jaw, and Bruce eventually looked away from him. With Bruce's scars finally showing, Lex felt useless to soothe them. He desperately wanted to heal those old wounds so they could finally close, because he did indeed care greatly for his lost and tormented boy savior. If only there was something he could do... anything. 

"Bruce, if you want revenge, I'll help you get it." That definitely got Bruce's attention, because his eyes immediately locked with Lex's, and Bruce stared at him as if that had been the last thing Bruce had expected Lex to say. "I'll help you find the guy that did this if it takes both of us the rest of our lives, I promise." 

When Bruce searched Lex for any trace of artificial purpose, only the love Lex had professed to have for Bruce was written there all over his face. Bruce spoke with obvious caution, the gravity heavy in his voice. "I don't just want vengeance, Lex. I want justice." 

It did seem like Bruce that it was not enough to want to save himself, but everyone who would be victimized. Suddenly, Bruce's rescue of Lex that night of their first meeting made more sense than Lex could fathom. He understood everything as if the pieces of this enigma were cemented in place by that one admission. Lex had underestimated the light in Bruce, but only because the dark exterior had never allowed it to shine. This, however, was something so much more significant than Lex had thought it would be, and the feelings it inspired only gave Lex more reason to feel as he did about this boy hero's presence in his life. "I can help you with that too... if you let me." 

Bruce smiled, perhaps for the first time in earnest since Lex had met him. Lex realized this was approval, and that made him smile back. 

A minute passed in their unspoken communication. Authentic appreciation and acceptance. It was all Lex could have hoped for, a genuine response to his suggestion that Bruce need not continue in his course alone. Bruce's reception of Lex's offer was surprisingly pleasant, something vaguely resembling happiness, though of a fractured shape. 

Without warning, Bruce's hand settled on Lex's thigh, and then roamed up until Bruce felt Lex go completely hard through the thin material of his slacks. Bruce moved to the zipper and undid Lex's conscience with it. In the blink of an eye, Bruce had exposed Lex's cock and he bent in service to it. His lips closed around the head and glided down half the length and then drew back. Lex laid back into the disorderly sheets and pillows, rendered helpless by this impulsive and impromptu gesture. Something that rang like pure gratitude, Bruce's own way of thanking Lex for things that were too big for any overused verbal expression. 

Lex reveled in the attention, having burned with the desire to see Bruce sucking him all the time he had known him without ever actually knowing the euphoric joy of it until now. Bruce descended further down the shaft every time, slowly taking more of Lex into his mouth. The sensations racked every inch of Lex as Bruce deliberately paced himself to tantalize Lex further. Lex's member throbbed in the moist heat and throbbed more at the wet chill when Bruce drew back. Then it was satisfied again when Bruce's lips slid down until the head hit his throat, and like being ripped from that velvety paradise when Bruce dragged his lips back up the length his tongue trailing the vein underneath the entire way. 

The pattern repeated regularly for quite some time and every time Lex felt the need to come pool in his cock, Bruce sensed it and lightened his every stimulation until the yearning for release was reigned in again. It was excruciating for Lex, but he had no voice to argue and no mind to complain. His desire, along with Bruce's adept timing and instinct, kept him chained to that place on the verge of physical ecstasy where achieving carnal nirvana was just beyond reach. Bruce had obviously learned a lot from the many times Lex had teased his dick in almost the same exact way, only Bruce seemed to have figured out a couple extra nuances that were driving Lex crazy, not to mention the excessive effort put into delaying the final moment. 

When Bruce sped up his affections and lavished them upon Lex's enduring erection, Lex lost all semblance of control. His orgasm electrified his flesh and made every touch feel like white-hot fire dancing upon his skin. Bruce's hands gripped Lex's thighs through the silky cloth of his pants and his lips formed a tight seal around the base and pulled back then his mouth enveloped it again until it was buried in his throat, having honed the art of doing so in the extensive span of time he had been training himself to properly pleasure Lex. Ultimately, his hard work had paid off as Lex poured his seed into Bruce. As he swallowed the milky fluid Lex fed him, Bruce eased his manipulation until the flow stopped. Then, he abandoned the softening member to crawl up and lay beside Lex. 

Breathless, it took Lex a moment to gather strength enough to open his eyes and glance over at his young and darkly beautiful lover. Lex was immensely gratified, his entire being a molten mess from the intensity of Bruce's gift. "Bruce..." Heavy breaths kept Lex from saying it before Bruce could interject. 

"You're welcome." A gentle and caring answer. Not a tone Lex recognized as Bruce's. But he supposed things would be different from here on in, and Lex invited that change as it afforded him a new level of closeness to this brooding stranger, his attractive and precious boy savior who granted him the wish of seeing one last congenial smile before he closed his eyes. 

Whether it was rest or sleep Bruce disappeared into, Lex could not tell, but there was a fine line of difference. One that may have been made by the extreme consumption of alcohol this evening coupled with the lack of sustenance. On this day where feasts are the center of celebration, they had not eaten a single thing, and only drank. They had been drinking their distance away and then they became drunk on their newfound proximity. What else could they possibly have asked for on this day? Their bond had been consummated in a way that tasted eternal. It was the perfect end to a very special occasion. 

The holiday was over. 

When Lex looked towards the window, he saw the night cluttered with white flakes fluttering through the sky. Winter was coming... 


End file.
